A FREE WEEKLY E-ZINE OF MULTISPORT RELATED ARTICLES.
The Runner's and Triathlete's Web Digest is a weekly e-zine dealing with the
sports of running and triathlon and general fitness and
health issues. The opinions expressed in the articles referenced by the Digest
are the opinions of the writers and not necessarily
those of the Runner's Web. Visit the Runner's Web at http://www.runnersweb.com
The site is updated multiple times daily. Check out
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1. Scotiabank Bay Street Rat Race for United Way - 5k Run - Toronto, ON June 15,
2006
Join us for a 5km run through the streets of downtown Toronto. Fantastic
entertainment, food and prizes in celebration of United Way
of Greater Toronto's 50th anniversary
http://www.unitedwaytoronto.com/volunteer/uw_events_calendar.html#Ratrace

2. Challenger World.
Using our unique Intelligent Sport(TM) concept, Challenger World has developed
the most advanced, fun and diverse corporate team
building challenges in the world with one aim in mind - to create great teams
for your business
http://www.challengerworld.com/
What is Intelligent Sport:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/news/rw_news_20060518_Challenger_World.html

3. RunnersWeb5K.com Race for Women
Women's only racing returns to Ottawa June 24th with a 5K race along the
Rockcliffe Parkway from the Aviation Museum.
Join Olympian Emilie Mondor - who has promised to run sub 16:00 and Commonwealth
Games team member Nicole Stevenson - ranked #2 in
the marathon in Canada - and hundreds of women runners of all levels to
celebrate women's running.
More....
http://www.runnersweb5k.com

4. Runner's Web Online Store:
Through a partnership with HDO Sports, the Runner's and Triathlete's Web has
opened an online store. Check it out for your shopping
requirements. The new Garmin 305 is now available with FREE shipping.
http://store.runnersweb.com

5. RunnersWebCoach
Through a partnership with HDO Training, the Runner's And Triathlete's Web now
offers Interactive Training.
http://www.runnerswebcoach.com

6. Road Runner Sports, the world's largest running store at:
http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/click?lid=41000000009525499

7. Toronto Waterfront Marathon. September 24, 2006.
http://www.torontowaterfrontmarathon.com/

9. The Toronto Marathon, October 15, 2006
http://www.torontomarathon.com

10. LifeSport by Lance Watson - Professional Coaching
Lance Watson has been coaching triathlon and distance running since 1987. Over
the years, Lance has coached some of the most
successful athletes in the sport of triathlon and duathlon. A Human Kinetics
graduate (sport psychology minor), Lance has had the
opportunity to work with and be mentored by numerous world-class swim, bike, run
and triathlon coaches and liaise with many top
sport professionals (scientists, psychologists, nutritionists, therapists, etc.)
Lance has coached at the 2000 Olympics, 2002 Commonwealth Games and 2003 Pan
American Games. He has been head coach at several
national-team events and coached at various Ironman, ITU World Cup and world
championship events. As well, he was an award recipient
as "Triathlon Canada Elite Coach Of The Year" four consecutive years from
2000-2003. He was the 2004 Olympic Team Head Coach
(Triathlon).
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/LifeSport.html


ASSOCIATIONS:
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Organization for the Running Industry.
http://www.runningusa.org/


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If anyone is looking for a web mail provider, you might wish to consider
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Microsoft(r) Alerts on RunnersWeb.com Inc.
RunnersWeb.com Inc. now offers Microsoft(r) Alerts! This service lets you
receive important messages through your MSN(r) Messenger
or Windows(r) Messenger, your e-mail, or your mobile device. You can choose how
and when you receive these messages by specifying
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Race Directors:
Advertise your event on the Runner's Web.
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You can also list your events for free in our Interactive Calendars and on our
Marathons, Races and Triathlons pages.


THIS WEEK:
A reminder to women considering the RunnersWeb5K.com Race for Women on June 24th
- the deadline for regular entry fee, which
includes a souvenir, t-shirt is June 12, 2006.
Sub 18:00 5K women runners should contact me for FREE entry into the race.
Win a FREE entry into the race by entering our women's running trivia contest
at:
http://www.runnersweb5k.com
You can now also win an entry into the RunnersWeb5K.com Race for Women in Ottawa
on June 24th through Road Race Results at:
http://www.roadraceresults.com/road-race-results-free-entry-draw.php.
One entry will be awarded each Monday up to and including June 19th.

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WIN a Trip for 2 to Scotiabank TORONTO WATERFRONT MARATHON
Results of Runner's World Contest for the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon
Congratulations go out to Corinne Makarewich of Harrisonburg, Virginia, the
winner of our “Win a trip for two to the 2006 Scotiabank
Toronto Waterfront Marathon” in Runner’s World this Spring.
And THANKS to the more than 2,000 of you who entered the contest. We hope you
will come and join Corinne and her sister Catherine,
and “Team America” on the Toronto Waterfront anyway!
We’re not that far away, and you still do NOT need a passport to travel to and
from the USA. Toronto is a terrific city, and Toronto
Waterfront is a great Fall option if you didn’t get into New York, and have left
it too late for Chicago! And if you did get in, why
not consider our scenic Waterfront Half as the perfect tune-up?
More...from the Runner's Web at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/news/rw_news_20060607_TWM.html

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RUNNER'S AND TRIATHLETE'S WEB CONTENT PARTNERS

* Sports Nutrition by Sheila Kealey.
Sheila is one of Ottawa's top multisport athletes and a member of the OAC Racing
Team and X-C Ottawa. She has a Masters in Public
Health and works in the field of nutritional epidemiology as a Research
Associate with the University of California, San Diego. Her
column index is available at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/SK_index.html

* Carmichael Training Systems
Carmichael Training Systems was founded in 1999 by Chris Carmichael.
From the beginning, the mission of the company has been to improve the lives of
individuals we work with through the application of
proper and effective fitness and competitive training techniques. Whether your
focus is recreational, advanced, or you are a
professional racer, the coaching methodology employed by CTS will make you a
better athlete. Check the latest monthly column from
CTS at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/cts_columns.html.

* Peak Performance Online
Peak Performance is a subscription-only newsletter for athletes, featuring the
latest research from the sports science world. We
cover the whole range of sports, from running and rowing to cycling and
swimming, and each issue is packed full of exclusive
information for anyone who's serious about sport. It's published 16 times a
year, including four special reports, by Electric Word
plc. Peak Performance is not available in the shops - only our subscribers are
able to access the valuable information we publish.
Check out our article archive from Peak Performance Online at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/PPO_index.html

* Peak Running Performance
Peak Running Is The Nation's Most Advanced Running Newsletter. Rated as the #1
Running Publication by Road Runner Sports (Worlds
Largest Running Store) , Peak Running caters to the serious / dedicated runner.
Delivering world class running advice are some of
running's most recognizable athletes including Dr. Joe Vigil (US Olympic Coach),
Scott Tinley (2 Time Ironman Champ) Steve Scott (3 Time Olympian) and many more.
This bi-monthly newsletter has been around for over
13 years, and in the past two it has been awarded the "Golden Shoe Award" in
recognition of it's outstanding achievements.
http://www.clixGalore.com/Sale.aspx?BID=37234&AfID=103794&AdID=5075&LP=www.peakr\
unningperformance.com
Check out the Peak Running article index at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/PRP_index.html .

* WatsonLifeSport
Lance Watson is "Just The Winningest Coach in Triathlon". He has been coaching
triathlon and distance running since 1987. Over the
years, Lance has coached some of the most successful athletes in the sport of
triathlon and duathlon.
Check out the Lance Watson Online Article Index at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/LW_index.html

Running Research News:
RRN's free, weekly, training update provides subscribers with the most-current,
practical, scientifically based information about
training, sports nutrition, injury prevention, and injury rehabilitation. The
purpose of this weekly e-zine is to improve
subscribers' training quality and to help them train in an injury-free manner.
Running Research News also publishes a complete, 12-page, electronic newsletter
10 times a year (one-year subscriptions are $35); to
learn more about Running Research News, please see the Online Article Index and
"About Running Research News" sections below or go
to RRNews.com.
Check out the article index at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/RRN_index.html


THIS WEEK'S PERSONAL POSTINGS/RELEASES:
We have TWO personal postings this week.

ONE:
Headsweats Hats benefiting the Challenged Athletes' Foundation
Hey everyone,
Headsweats, makers of the absolute best running/fitness hat on the market, is an
official sponsor of my fundraising event benefiting
the Challenged Athletes' Foundation this year. They've printed up a limited
edition of their Protech quickfit hats to help raise
money.
The hats retail for $22, but I'm selling them through eBay for $13.00. Also, I
am matching every hat sold 2-for-1, so your $13
donation gets you the best hat on the market and the CAF gets a donation of $39!
The link to the auction is:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7247624939&rd=1&sspagename=ST\
RK%3AMESE%3AIT&rd=1
If you'd like to help out and get a great running hat at the same time, please
let me know.
Thanks!
Bobby

TWO:
Help kids with your old running shoes!
Check out this great program to help kids and to recycle your old
running shoes . . .
http://www.thefinalsprint.com/entry/dont-throw-away-your-old-shoes-recycle-them


THIS WEEK'S DIGEST ARTICLE INDEX:

1. Running: Strength and Stability Training for Distance Runners
2. Athletics: Making Progress With Interval Running -- Running Faster And Longer
Intervals
3. Triathlon: 5 Tips For Saving Energy On Your Next Long Ride
4. Athletics: The Right Way To Hydrate For Marathons
5. Dr. Gabe Mirkin's Fitness and Health E-Zine
6. Tips for the hopelessly inflexible
7. Danger Can Lurk in Morning O.J.
In rare cases, juice can harbor salmonella bacteria, experts say.
8. All That Wheezes is not Asthma
Finding the correct cause and most effective treatment will return the athlete
to competitive form most quickly, and should be done
under the guidance of a well qualified physician.
9. Hot Weather Running
There’s good and bad news about running in the heat.
10. Calcium-Enhanced Waters
11. From Runner's World
12. Do Your Skin a Favor: Protect It in Summer
13. How Alcohol Makes You Fat
14. The new hip trend
Fitness-crazy boomers are paying a price -- replacement joints at a younger age.
15. Joe Henderson's Running Commentary - Surviving the Big Injury
16. Seeking Workout Partner for Hot and Sweaty Fun
17. What makes them run?
If they really want to go the distance, first-time marathoners need something
meaningful to inspire them. Weight loss or kudos
aren't enough.
18. Lab Report: Essential Ingredients IV
Tempo Runs, By Pete Pfitzinger, M.S.
19. Focus on function: What top athletes can teach the rest of us
20. Get Your Game On
Ready to play your way to total fitness? We thought so. Kick-start your
transformation with a visionary six-week approach to
bringing body and mind together for strength, stamina, and your best performance
ever.
21. Glutamine: Essential Nonessential Amino Acid
22. 22. Her Story(TM): Megan Williams
"When I told my family and friends that my husband, and I were biking through
Kenya and Tanzania over Christmas, their reactions
were immediate and strong: 'Are you absolutely nuts, isn't it dangerous?
23. Caffeine can reduce the pain caused by exercise
24. Anaerobic cycling workouts for 70.3
25. Digest Briefs


RUNNER'S WEB WEEKLY POLL:
"Which event did run/walk in this year's Ottawa Race Weekend?"

You can access the poll from our FrontPage ( http://www.runnersweb.com) as well
as checking the results of previous polls.
Post your views in our Forum at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/runnersweb_forum.html
[Free Registration Required]

LAST WEEK'S POLL RESULTS:
"Should there be temperature restrictions for long distance events such as the
marathon and Ironman triathlon?"
Answers Votes Percent
1. Yes 23 38%
2. No 35 58%
3. No opinion, don't care 2 3%
Total Votes: 60


FIVE STAR SITE OF THE WEEK: World's Best 110K - San Juan, Puerto Rico
"The World's Best 10K Race originated as a celebration of the Teodoro Moscoso
Bridge's 3rd Anniversary, which began operations at
the 23rd of February 1994. From its origin, it was meant to be a spectacular
event and not just another road race. As such, it
required total involvement of all sectors; business, government, community, news
media and the sports world. It seemed the perfect
way to give back to our community for its continuous support of our toll bridge
operation.
Our first two races, in 1998 and 1999, were focused primarily on our local
athletes. In our third race in 2000, we wanted to
motivate our local athletes even further, by converting our race into an
international event. We proceeded to invite some of the
best runners in the world. Finally, in 2001 we took one more step by changing
the name to the World's Best 10K. Our race was the
first race in Puerto Rico to be certified by the Association of International
Marathons and Road Races (AIMS) and by the
International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) and by the local Long Distance
Running Association ("Comite de Fondismo"). It was
also the first race transmitted live through Internet, with audio, video and
results. We are happy to say that our first
international race was ranked among the 20 most competitive races in the World.
In 2003, we grew the event to nearly 8,000 runners
and Paula Radcliffe allowed us to live up to our name by completing the course
in a World Record time of 30:21.
The 2006 edition reached a new record with 13,618 registrants. People of 30
states and over 10 countries made again of this race an
international event.
The 2007 race event will have a Grand Prize Bonus of $100,000 for the athlete,
man or woman, able to establish, a new World best
record, for 10 kilometers. Our 1st place prize is $20,000 with a time bonus of
$10,000, for men under 28 minutes and women under 31
minutes. It was absolutely necessary for the World's best runners (E.g. Paul
Tergat, Khalid Khannouchi, Paula Radcliffe, Lornah
Kiplagat, Tegla Laroupe and many others) to be present at the WB10K."
Visit the site at:
http://www.worldbest10k.com/new


Our Photo Slideshow is updated on a random basis. Check it out from our
FrontPage.


BOOK OF THE WEEK: Running Dialogue
By David Holt
Training for 5k, 10k, Half-marathon to Marathon for Beginners to Experts
Every year thousands of people decide to take on a sprint triathlon for the
first time. Now USA Triathlon and USA Cycling certified
coach Joe Friel provides a complete guide to finishing that first triathlon. The
same principles and training methodology that the
pros and committed triathletes rely on are presented here in language that a
beginner can easily understand. Friel maps a course to
prepare for a sprint-distance triathlon in 12 weeks, with five hours of training
each week, plenty of rest, and the beginnings of a
lifestyle marked by a commitment to health and fitness and personal growth. Your
First Triathlon provides the training plans,
workouts, checklists, and instruction that first-timers need. Joe Friel is known
for his thorough approach and with his help, what
may have begun as a challenge to complete a sprint triathlon will grow into a
love for this demanding yet rewarding sport.
David Holt shows joggers and recreational runners how to train for their first
5K, or their first marathon. Experienced runners
benefit from the extensive chapters on hill training, anaerobic threshold and
VO2 maximum and Interval training. Learn the speed to
train at for all types of training at your own personal level. Includes running
pace tables, a nutrition chapter and 50 pages of
injury advice, plus cartoons and some humor. Covers coping with dogs while
running, to all the types of training which Gold
medalists use.
Buy the book from Amazon at:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0965889742/runnersweb/102-0182896-9006569\
?v=glance&s=books


THIS WEEK'S FEATURES:

1. Running: Strength and Stability Training for Distance Runners:
By Ben Wisbey
Strength training is one of the most commonly discussed topics amongst distance
runners, generating great debates with many strong
opinions. Should distance runners undertake regular strength training programs?
Strength training is generally associated with hypertrophy, or the increase of
muscle mass. This perception turns many runners away
from ever undertaking weight training. Runners often fear bulking up, and this
dictates opinions and training practices. Obviously
increased muscle mass would require the runner to carry this extra weight during
both training and racing, and as running does not
require high force production, this extra muscle mass would be of little value
in terms of performance.
A weight training program specific to running should not cause hypertrophy. If
the traditional perception of strength training
increasing muscle mass can be put to the side, then distance runners can benefit
from a running specific strength training program.
Firstly, some ground rules need to be considered when deciding if strength
training is right for you. The next step is deciding on
the type of training you should do.
Being a runner, your key weekly sessions are your runs. The strength training is
supplementary training, and while it is definitely
of value it should never take priority over your running. When you are planning
your training schedule do not place the strength
sessions at times when they will lead to you being fatigued for one of your key
runs. It doesn't matter so much if you are a little
fatigued leading into a recovery run, but never schedule a strength session
prior to a quality run session. This may mean that you
can’t do strength training the day before a quality run session unless you have
a solid strength training background.
More...from the Runner's Web at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/news/rw_news_20060605_EST_Strength.html


2. Athletics: Making Progress With Interval Running -- Running Faster And
Longer Intervals:
By: David Holt
You continue to improve speed, endurance and running form by changing your
intervals:
* Run faster in the effort...up to 2 mile race pace.
* Take a shorter distance recovery
* Put more effort into the recovery (jogging for a minute instead of walking)
* Or, increasing the number of efforts.
The prudent runner will only change one of these factors at a time.
A runner specializing in the 5K will generally aim for a low number of quite
fast repetitions, but no more than 3 seconds per 400
meters faster than 5K pace. This will ensure that part of each effort puts him
well into oxygen debt. He will increase the speed of
the efforts until he is running faster than race pace...then steadily decrease
the recovery period session by session. He may also
reduce the number of repetitions to enable him to achieve the extra speed.
“What about the 10K or 10 mile racer?” you may ask.
Upon achieving the required speed, they will decrease the recovery period, and
then increase the number of repetitions. One of the
aims of interval training is to get the body used to running fast for a long
(overall) period of time. Interval work allows you to
do huge amounts of mileage at fast training pace, yet without wearing yourself
out. Achieve the target speed, then emphasize
improving endurance at that speed.
Both specialists could progress along the following lines at first.
Week 1 8 x 400 in 72 secs 400 jog
Week 3 10 x 400 in 72 secs 400 jog
Week 5 12 x 400 in 72 secs 400 jog
Week 7 10 x 400 in 72 secs 300 jog
Week 9 12 x 400 in 72 secs 300 jog
Week 11 8 x 400 in 72 secs 200 jog
Week 13 10 x 400 in 72 secs 200 jog
Week 15 12 x 400 in 72 secs 200 jog
More...from the Runner's Web at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/news/rw_news_20060608_Holt_Intervals.html


3. Triathlon: 5 Tips For Saving Energy On Your Next Long Ride:
By: Darcie Murphy, CTS Senior Coach Category
How fast can you take it off? More lube, a little cut here a little cut there,
sleeves verse no sleeves, whatever it takes to make
you faster. Triathlons consist of three main disciplines: swimming, cycling and
running; however, Jack Johnstone and Don Shananhan
(creators of the triathlon craze) should have considered a forth discipline:
transitions. Transitions can often make or break your
event. For example, in an Olympic-distance race, if you were to improve by 40
seconds on transition 1 (T1), you would save almost
seven seconds per mile on the run! The first transition is where you can make up
the most time, especially when you are competing in
a wetsuit.
Lubrication
To help take your wetsuit off faster apply non-petroleum-based lubrication
around the ankles and wrists (a petroleum base
lubrication will eat away at the rubber of your wetsuit over time). There are
many different types of lube you can use; the most
common is Bodyglide®, but you can also use KY-jelly® and even PAM® cooking
spray! The purpose of lubing up, beyond the fact that it
feels good, is to prevent the wetsuit from bonding to your skin, and hence
prevent an uncomfortable and slow transition. Additional
lubrication can be put around the neckline, or if you have a sleeveless wetsuit,
around the shoulders, to help prevent chafing.
Strategic Cutting
Finding the right size wetsuit can be somewhat of a challenge. All wetsuits go
by a height-to-weight chart for sizing, however not
everyone fits this mold. More often than not, the wetsuit will fit your torso
area, but be slightly too long on your legs and arms.
The legs of a wetsuit should not be all the way down to your feet; a proper fit
will seem short, at or slightly above the ankles. If
the wetsuit is too long in the legs and the arms, it is common to make
alterations. Shortening the legs and the arms provides a
larger opening, allowing you to become efficient in taking the wetsuit off.
However, keep in mind that by cutting your wetsuit you
are modifying the amount of water it may or may not retain.
More...from the Runner's Web at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/news/rw_CTS_20060606_Saving_Energy.html


4. Athletics: The Right Way To Hydrate For Marathons:
1. How important is hydration to a marathon safety and performance?
Hydration status in marathon runners is dependent on the balance between sweat
losses and fluid replacement and dehydration occurs
when fluid losses are not adequately replaced. Sweat rates are influenced by
weather conditions and running pace (i.e., pace per
mile). Warm humid weather increases sweat rates and may accelerate the onset of
dehydration and heat-related illnesses in runners.
Keeping the body properly hydrated with the right amount of fluids improves
safety and performance in a marathon by maintaining
blood and cell fluid volume for cardiovascular transport and sweating.
Dehydration causes marathon runners to run slower as the drop
in body water decreases vascular volume with lower cardiac output and decreased
muscle cell function. It is possible to ingest too
much fluid, which can result in a potentially fatal condition called
hyponatremia. Balancing fluid intake with sweat losses to avoid
dehydration and hyponatremia is the goal. Find out what keeps you in balance;
there is no standard intake rate for everyone.
2. What are the signs of dehydration?
Thirst is an indicator that you should start replacing your sweat losses. Signs
and symptoms of worsening dehydration include
headache, fatigue, dizziness, nausea, muscle cramps, weakness, abnormal chills,
thick saliva (i.e., difficult to spit), and
irritability
3. What is the best way to avoid dehydration?
The best way to avoid dehydration is to calculate your sweat rate and replace
your anticipated losses throughout the run. A few
(10-20) ounces of fluid about an hour before the race will help you start with
adequate water in you system.
4. How do I calculate my sweat rate?
The easiest method to estimate your sweat rate is to weigh yourself nude and run
for either ½ or 1 hour in the conditions and at the
pace you expect to race. At the end of the run, strip down, towel off, and
reweigh yourself nude. The difference in weight (ounces)
is either half (if you ran for ½ hour) or equal (if you ran for an hour) to your
sweat rate. No more than that amount should be
replaced in each hour of your race. If you have determined that you need to
drink 6 oz every 20 minutes, then you stick with that
plan for longer runs. Drinking too much water or sports drink (overhydrating)
can lead to hyponatremia.
More...from the Runner's Web at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/news/rw_news_20060608_ARRMS_Hydration.html


5. Dr. Gabe Mirkin's Fitness and Health E-Zine:
* Know When to Stop Exercising
After you have played a long tennis match on a hot summer day, you feel weaker
and less accurate with your shots. The fatigue,
muscle weakness, tired aching feeling and decreased coordination that you get in
any sport lasting several hours is caused by low
levels of fluids, salt or calories. There are no early warning signals. By the
time you feel hungry, you have already run low on
calories and are ready to crash. By the time you feel thirsty, you are already
severely dehydrated and feel weak and tired. By the
time you are low on salt, you already have tired, aching or burning muscles;
feel weak, tired and dizzy; and may already have muscle
cramps.
The primary limiting factor in sports that require great endurance is the time
it takes for your heart to pump oxygen in your
bloodstream from your lungs into your muscles. A study from the University of
Connecticut (Medicine and Science in Sports and
Exercise, May, 2006) shows that with dehydration, your heart beats with far less
force so it pumps far less blood with each beat,
and is unable to bring as much oxygen to your muscles.
You can't depend on thirst to tell you when you lack fluids. Certain brain cells
called osmoreceptors tell you when you are thirty,
but only after the salt concentration of your blood has risen considerably. When
you exercise, you sweat. Sweat contains far more
water than salt in comparison to blood. So you lose far more water than salt
during exercise and blood levels of salt rise. By the
time that a your blood salt concentration is high enough to trip off the
osmoreceptors, you are severely dehydrated and it is too
late for you to be able to drink enough during exercise to catch up with your
water deficit. On the other hand, if you take salt
with fluids, then your blood salt levels rise faster and tell you that you are
thirsty earlier.
There are other reasons that you should take salt with fluids during prolonged
exercise. First, it helps prevent muscle cramps.
Remember, during exercise you lose salt and water. If you are replacing only
water, you can eventually take in so much water that
your salt levels drop to cause muscle cramps. Second, even though salt is a mild
diuretic at rest, during exercise it helps your
body to retain water. So when you are going to exercise for more than a couple
hours, particularly in hot weather, drink small
amounts frequently and eat salted foods such as peanuts. Always stop if you feel
sick, have chills, headache, severe muscle burning
or aching, dizziness, or blurred vision. Seek help if your symptoms do not
subside in a few minutes; you could be headed for heat
stroke that can kill you.
* Dear Dr. Mirkin: How does weight loss affect your heart?
A study from Turkey shows that the heart beats with greater strength when a
person loses weight (Heart Vessels, March 2006). The
obese patients in the study received echocardiograms to predict their risk for
heart failure by measuring their left ventricular
function. After they lost at least ten percent of their total body weight, the
strength of the contractions of their hearts
increased significantly. This study shows that weight loss should be part of the
treatment for heart failure if the person is
overweight. It also explains why being overweight makes you tired and short of
breath, because your heart has to work much harder to
push blood through blood vessels blocked by fat. Losing excess weight improves
heart function and also helps to prevent diabetes,
heart attacks, strokes, kidney damage and even certain cancers. Best diet for
heart health and weight loss
* Dear Dr. Mirkin: Are there any drugs to make athletes stronger that are not
banned by sports authorities such as the Olympic
committee?
Yes; some athletes take estrogen blockers and human chorionic gonadotropin
(Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Volume
91, 2006). Estrogen blockers such as Tamoxifen, Arimedex, Aromasin, and Femara
are used to treat women with, or at high risk, for
breast cancer. Evidently lowering the female hormone, estrogen, may act the same
way as raising the male hormone, testosterone, to
help athletes recover faster from hard workouts. Human chorionic gonadotropins
are hormones that are produced in very large amounts
by a woman's body when she is pregnant. These hormones appear to promote cells
growth, which includes muscle tissue.
Both male and female athletes can experience strength gains from these hormones
or anti-hormones. Since nobody really knows all the
side effects that occur when healthy athletes take them, the athletes may be
risking their lives.
* Pressure on Pedals Tires You More than Spinning Fast
Experienced bicycle riders know that fatigue comes from how hard you press on
the pedals, not how fast you turn them. Novice racers
may try to ride with maximum force on the pedals, but they quickly exhaust
themselves and often can't even finish the race.
Cycling is a power sport. The number of times you spin your bicycle pedals in a
minute is called your cadence, and your power is the
product of the force that your feet apply to the
pedals time your cadence. A study from Toledo, Spain shows that spinning the
pedals too fast slows you down (Medicine and Science
in Sports and Exercise, May 2006). Most bicycle riders do best when they chose
gears that allow them to pedal at a cadence of 80 to
90.
You want to pedal as fast as you can with the greatest force you can maintain on
your pedals, but if you spin too fast, your brain
cannot coordinate your muscles so you lose efficiency. Try to choose gears that
allow you to spin as fast as you can and still feel
some pressure on your pedals. If you have to push on your pedals so hard that
your body moves from side to side, you need to reduce
the gear ratio and pedal faster. If you are spinning faster than 100 times a
minute, you are probably losing coordination. Bicycle
computers that show your cadence are available in bike shops and online bicycle
catalogs.
When you are going out on a long ride, try to keep a comfortable fast cadence.
However, if you are going to sprint or race for
less than 30 minutes, you will ride faster by putting more pressure than usual
on you pedals, which will slow your cadence by about
10 percent. You can also use this technique to pick up the pace when you want
to catch up with another rider.
From Dr. Gabe Mirkin at:
http://www.drmirkin.com


6. Tips for the hopelessly inflexible:
When triathlon coach Paul Huddle and I got together in 1988 to produce the first
flexibility material for triathletes, it was a
meeting of two opposites: the hopelessly inflexible meets Gumby. Let's face it;
the tri community is fun, but tight.
Where can the hopelessly inflexible start? First, it helps to understand that
some stretching is necessary in order to prevent
injury and perform at your best. To start, follow two easy steps: Bend the knees
and go extra easy.
With the knees bent, forward stretches will feel better and be more effective at
the hips, your prime area of mobility, and protect
your hamstrings -- a vulnerable muscle.
Easy stretching can be difficult for some, so keep your breath even and smooth.
Stretching should feel like you're lying around,
chilling out, but you should also be aware of the muscles involved in the
stretch. Athletes will often fight the stretch; instead
adjust the stretches and enjoy.
I have included stretches that will help you work on your knee bend and your
ability to relax. Good luck.
More...from Active.com at:
http://www.active.com/story.cfm?story_id=13136


7. Danger Can Lurk in Morning O.J.:
In rare cases, juice can harbor salmonella bacteria, experts say.
In rare instances, if your morning glass of orange juice isn't pasteurized, it
may be a source of foodborne illness, public health
officials noted Wednesday at a meeting of the American Society for Microbiology,
in Orlando, Fla.
Orange juice is one of the foods that -- due to its acidity, moisture levels, or
a combination of both -- isn't capable of
supporting the growth of foodborne pathogens under proper storage conditions and
is defined as non-potentially hazardous food.
However, these foods can still contain pathogenic organisms at sufficient levels
to cause illness.
"The more we find out about the behavior of microorganisms in non-potentially
hazardous foods, the more we are beginning to
understand that some of these foods are borderline or not consistent with the
definition," Dr. Larry Beuchat, of the Center for Food
Safety at the University of Georgia, Athens, said in a prepared statement.
"For many years, individuals in the public health arena would not think of
orange juice as a vehicle for salmonella. When
epidemiologists would collect information on salmonella outbreaks, high-acid
beverages like orange juice were not considered to even
possibly be involved as carriers," he said.
However, since the mid-1990s, unpasteurized orange juice has been linked to a
number of salmonella outbreaks in the United States.
This may be due to a number of factors such as more importation of orange
products from countries with less stringent sanitary
guidelines or regulations; greater overall consumption of orange juice; or
better public health surveillance and detection methods.
"Is it new, or were we just not looking for it 20 years ago? I think it is a
little bit of both," Beuchat said.
More...from HealthScout at:
http://www.healthscout.com/news/1/532864/main.html


8. All That Wheezes is not Asthma:
Finding the correct cause and most effective treatment will return the athlete
to competitive form most quickly, and should be done
under the guidance of a well qualified physician.
Introduction
Wheezing can be a distressing symptom to the athlete who is accustomed to
pushing for peak performance. When accompanied by
shortness of breath, wheezing is even more upsetting. Fortunately, most causes
of wheezing are benign and reversible; however, an
accurate diagnosis and treatment plan are essential. Dr Rochelle Nolte provided
an excellent article on exercise-induced asthma in a
March 2006 article for Beginner Triathlete. This article explores common causes
for wheezing other than asthma.
A wheeze is a melodic sound produced during breathing. Wheezing is caused by
obstruction to the normal flow of air through the
respiratory tract. Depending on the cause and location of the obstruction,
wheezing can occur during inspiration, expiration or a
combination of both. Accompanying symptoms, exacerbating/relieving factors,
physical examination, testing, and trials of various
therapies will help establish the underlying cause and correct treatments.
Finding the correct cause and most effective treatment
will return the athlete to competitive form most quickly, and should be done
under the guidance of a well qualified physician.
Specific Conditions
Many conditions cause wheezing. In this section, we will consider some of the
most common and most detrimental causes of wheezing.
This section is summarized in the table below.
Upper Respiratory Congestion
We have all experienced congestion in our upper airway due to colds, allergies,
and other conditions. The post-nasal drip that
accompanies congestion is the single most common condition that causes wheezing
during exercise. Mucus from the nasal cavity drains
and accumulates in the area around the vocal cords, which becomes the site of
relative obstruction. Recent nasal congestion,
post-nasal drip, coughing that is independent of activity and becomes worse when
laying on one’s back, and a relative lack of
shortness of breath are often found on history.
More...from Beginner Triathlete at:
http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article-detail.asp?articleid=808


9. Hot Weather Running:
There’s good and bad news about running in the heat.
First, the bad news: When the temperature rises about 55 degrees F (10 degrees
C), you’re going to run more slowly and feel worse
than you will at lower temperatures. But by gradually preparing yourself for
increased temperatures and taking action from the
beginning of hot weather runs, you’ll get a welcome dose of the good news.
You’ll learn how to hydrate yourself, what to wear, and
when and how much your body can take in hot weather, all of which will help you
recover faster and run better than others of your
ability on hot days. While even the most heat-adapted runners won’t run as fast
on hot days as they can on cold ones, they won’t
slow down as much nor will they feel as much discomfort.
Until the temperature rises to about 65 degrees F, most runners don’t notice
much heat buildup, even though it is already putting
extra burdens on the system. It takes most folks about 30 to 45 minutes of
running (with or without walk breaks) to feel warm. But
soon after that, if the temperature is above about 62 degrees F, you’re suddenly
hot and sweating. On runs and especially races
under those conditions, most runners have to force themselves to slow down. It’s
just too easy to start faster than you should when
the temperature is between 60 and 69 degrees F because it feels cool at first.
As the mercury rises about 65 degrees F, your body can’t get rid of the heat
building up. This causes a rise in core body
temperature and an early depletion of fluids through sweating. The internal
temperature rise also triggers the rapid dispersion of
blood into the capillaries of the skin, reducing the amount of that vital fluid
that is available to the exercising muscles. Just
when those workhorses are being pushed to capacity, they are receiving less
oxygen and nutrients. What used to be a river becomes a
creek and can’t remove the waste products of exercise (such as lactic acid). As
these accumulate, your muscles slow down.
More...from Cool Running at:
http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_1/hot-weather-running.shtml


10. Calcium-Enhanced Waters:
Most Americans don’t get enough calcium because they avoid dairy – or don’t like
taking supplements. But now getting calcium is
easy; simply sip some mineral water.
“Calcium is found naturally in mineral water and it is very well absorbed by the
body just as well as milk,” says Delia Hammock,
R.D., Nutritionist, Good Housekeeping Institute.
So the Good Housekeeping Institute selected two brands of high-calcium mineral
water to evaluate for taste. Contrex Natural Mineral
Water which is flat and Sanfaustino Calcium Water which is slightly
effervescent.
“Mineral water, particularly mineral water that has high amounts of calcium,
tends to have more of a “hard” water taste. So all
Americans may not like it right off,” explains Hammock.
May not like it, but these waters have over 100 milligrams of calcium per
8-ounce glass. Drink a one-liter bottle; you’ll get nearly
half your daily value of calcium. So how do these waters taste?
“I felt that the “fizz” added to the flavor. So if I can enjoy it and get my
calcium, I definitely would drink it,” says one tester.
“I think that this is a way more refreshing way to get calcium into my system.
If I am thirsty, I don’t really want a glass of milk.
I want a refreshing cool glass of water. So I enjoyed both,” adds another woman.
More...from WJAC at:
http://www.wjactv.com/money/9324653/detail.html


11. From Runner's World:
* Coach's Corner
"To gradually increase distance and intensity, increase the length of your long
run by a mile or two a week and enter some road
races to practice race speed."
-Benji Durden
* Injury Prevention
Steer clear of shin pain
Consider these five strategies to avoid shin splints and compartment syndrome:
Stay well hydrated, be wary of creatine supplements,
stretch regularly, lift some weights, and don't run through severe pain.
* Performance Nutrition
"Your low-fat diet is too low if it doesn't include enough omega-3 fats. There's
no standard optimal amount for omega-3 fats, but
most experts agree we need to average about 3,000 milligrams a day. You can
easily achieve this by eating fish a few times a week,
having nuts four to five times a week, and using canola oil regularly when you
cook." - Liz Applegate, Ph.D.
* Editor's Advice
"Just because you eat low-fat and nonfat foods doesn't mean you can eat lots of
them and not gain weight. Read nutrition labels so
you can keep track of total calories as well as fat calories." -Jane Hahn, RW
features editor
* Training Talk
"To ensure that you get enough fluids, walk through the water stations and
drink as you go. Walking will also enable you to drink
more than one cup." -From Smart Running by Hal Higdon



12. Do Your Skin a Favor: Protect It in Summer:
With the outdoor season in full swing across the Northern Hemisphere, everyone's
thoughts should turn to sun protection. That means
you, whether you have light or dark skin, have blue or brown-black eyes, always
sit in the shade, or often play or bask in the sun.
True, sunshine restores the soul, fosters the formation of vitamin D and helps
plants grow. But no one is safe from its damaging
ultraviolet rays. Getting a tan or using a tanning product that dyes the skin
temporarily offers minimal protection against sun
damage.
And true, 80 percent of UV damage from sun exposure occurred in childhood and
adolescence, when we older folks knew nothing about
sunscreen, sometimes suffered scorching sunburns, or lay in the sun slathered in
oils to enhance tanning. But at every age, there
are steps to take now that can minimize the harm done decades ago and prevent
new problems.
Everyone should be replacing misinformation with facts about the effectiveness
of sunscreens and sun-protective clothing, and then
putting those facts to proper use.
The Right Priorities
How important is this? Very. More than a million cases of basal cell or squamous
cell cancers are diagnosed annually in the United
States. And while most of these are highly curable, they typically occur on
exposed areas of the body — face, neck, arms and hands —
and their treatment can leave noticeable scars or whitish spots.
Also, another form of skin cancer, melanoma, sometimes related to sun damage, is
not so curable. About 62,000 cases of melanoma will
be diagnosed this year, and more than 7,900 people will die of this cancer,
which has been increasing in incidence by about 3
percent a year since 1980.
More myths than facts abound .
More...from the NY times at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/06/health/06brod.html?_r=1&oref=slogin


13. How Alcohol Makes You Fat:
If you glanced at the title of this article, you might have cringed. When it
comes to fitness, nutrition, weight loss, and overall
health, many of us have trouble areas. There are some individuals who have a
glass of red wine with dinner every night. Others skip
the drinking completely on the weekdays, then start throwing a few back on
Thursday or Friday night, and keep it up until Sunday.
Still others won't drink for two to three weeks, then have a weekend binge of a
few dozen drinks or so (you know who you are!).
Finally, while there are scores of individuals out there who don't drink any
alcohol at all and really won't find this article
personally useful, I encourage you (if you are one of those people) to read it
anyways, and share the information with someone you
think it might help.
So...how does alcohol make you fat, especially when it doesn't have any fat in
it? To understand how this process occurs, let's
examine the consumption of a 5 ounce glass of red wine by a fictional character
named Vinny.
Vinny takes a drink. As the alcohol enters into digestion, it is split into two
compounds: fat and acetate. The fat is taken through
the bloodstream and stored wherever Vinny tends to deposit fat. The acetate is
taken into the bloodstream and used as Vinny's
primary energy fuel.
If you take anything away from this article, read that last sentence again. The
acetate is used as Vinny's primary energy fuel. This
means that rather than burning carbohydrates, protein, or fat as a fuel, Vinny's
body relies on the acetate for energy. It
completely stops burning anything else. Suddenly, Vinny has a surplus of carbs,
protein, and fat circulating in the body with
nowhere to go. So where does it all end up? You guessed it...it's converted to
fat and deposited on Vinny's waistline.
But that's not the only effect on Vinny. Alcohol also acts as a potent
appetizer. Ever heard of an apertif? It's an alcoholic drink
taken before a meal to increase the appetite, and many restaurants realize that
this is a great way to get you to order more food!
Several studies exist that show a sharp increase in caloric intake when an
alcoholic drink is consumed before a meal (compared to a
glass of water, or even a soda!). So now Vinny wants either: A) another glass of
wine or B) food (probably something salty or
greasy).
That's not all! Let's say that Vinny succumbs to his appetite and finishes the
bottle. Just a single bout of heavy drinking will
vastly increase the levels of the hormone cortisol, while significantly
decreasing the levels of the hormone testosterone. In
addition to his headache, here's why Vinny should be concerned: cortisol causes
the body to breakdown muscle and suppresses recovery
from exercise, while low testosterone makes the body less likely build lean
muscle or to burn fat as a fuel. So Vinny's getting a
big belly, and skinny arms and legs.
Now let's consider the actual caloric content of the glass of red wine. Before
we begin, bear in mind that at most parties, social
gatherings, and restaurants, a typical glass of red wine is really more like 6-8
ounces. But we'll be conservative. So Vinny's glass
of wine contains about 110 calories. Contrary to popular belief, there are very
few carbohydrates in the wine - only about 5 grams.
This is because when grapes are made into wine, most of the fruit sugars are
converted into alcohol. For purposes of comparison,
this glass of wine has about the same amount of alcohol and calories as a 12
ounce light beer or a shot of 80 proof spirit (yes,
that means a shot of tequila = about a whole glass of wine). A regular,
non-light beer, is even higher in calories, since it
contains over twice as many carbohydrates as light beer.
But realize that alcohol itself contains about seven calories for gram, making
it almost twice as calorie-laden as carbohydrates or
protein, which contain only four calories per gram. However, these calories
contain no beneficial nutrients, vitamins, or minerals.
Sure - Vinny gets some benefit from the compounds present from the grapeskins
and grapejuice, but if he drinks a big glass of red
wine every night with dinner, he consumes over 1000 additional calories per
week, and gains a dozen extra pounds of fat a year!
I haven't really discussed mixed drinks and won't say too much. If you read last
week's article (click here to check it out:
http://www.pacificfit.net/newsletter2.html), you know about sugar's potent
effect on fat levels in the body, and if you've read the
label lately on any soda or mixer, you know how much sugar it contains A ton!
Basically, you can take everything I just illustrated
in the case of Vinny, and multiply by 4-5. Margaritas, Long Island Iced Tea,
Mudslides, and other sweet mixed drinks can do more
damage to your diet than a Big Mac with cheese.
So let's be practical and assume that you are not going to completely give up
drinking but want some tips for your next social
event. Here's some ideas:
* Dilute alcohol with diet soda. While there are health problems with the
artificial sweeteners and chemicals in diet soda, this
will reduce your overall caloric intake.
* Use lots of ice. It makes your drink seem bigger without adding actual
calories.
* If you have to choose between fruit juice and soda in a mixer, choose fruit
juice.
* Avoid the salty snacks. They'll make you want to drink more.
* At the bar, restaurant, or grocery store, try to find a top shelf product or
good wine that you enjoy, then pay those extra bucks
and sip it slowly. Savoring a drink will reduce overconsumption.
* Drink as much water as possible. Try to have two drinks of water for every one
drink of alcohol.
From Pacific Elite Fitness at:
http://www.pacificfit.net./


14. The new hip trend:
Fitness-crazy boomers are paying a price -- replacement joints at a younger age.
BRAD BUETTNER has always prided himself on his physical fitness. For years the
49-year-old from Huntington Beach competed in
triathlons, cycling races, water skiing tournaments and horse jumping. Granted,
after he got married and had children, he slowed the
pace a bit, but he always made time for sports. "I have just always enjoyed
being active and fit."
So the news that he needed a hip replacement hit hard.
"I didn't tell anybody for a while, because I was just so ashamed," said
Buettner, who is a fit 6 foot 2 and 185 pounds. "I thought
hip replacements were for older people or those who had let themselves go."
Increasingly not. Although age, obesity and arthritis are still leading reasons
why people need new knees and hips, a growing number
of the younger and fitter are finding they need new joints as well.
"We are seeing an increasing patient base of younger adults whose extremely
active lifestyles put high demands on their joints,"
said Dr. Joseph C. McCarthy, a clinical professor of orthopedic surgery at New
England Baptist Hospital in Boston and past president
of the American Assn. of Hip and Knee Surgeons. These active baby boomers may
forestall heart disease, stroke and the other plagues
of the unfit, but in the process, their joints will take a pounding.
And while early joint replacement can extend an active lifestyle, it also raises
the disturbing possibility that the artificial
joint itself will eventually need to be replaced.
Today, surgeons perform 1 of 3 knee and hip replacements (34%) on patients
younger than 60, up from 1 in 4 (25%) in 1993. The
biggest growth has occurred in patients between the ages of 50 and 59; in 1993,
11% of all joint replacements were in this age
group; by 2003, it was nearly 20%, according to the American Academy of
Orthopaedic Surgeons, or AAOS.
More...from the LA Times at:
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/fitness/la-he-joints5jun05,1,4654539.stor\
y?coll=la-health-fitness-news


15. Joe Henderson's Running Commentary - Surviving the Big Injury:
An ex-student of mine, Kyle Carnes, reminds me of myself a couple of generations
ago. He studies journalism and he runs, as I did as
in college. His running sometimes crosses over into the writing, as mine too did
then.
At work recently on an article about weathering his first big injury as a
runner, Kyle asked for my comments. My passions for both
the craft and the hobby that we share are such that answering him took hours.
Here is the short version:
I've survived the Big Injury the runners fear, and probably need. Nothing grabs
your attention so powerfully as a career-threatening
injury.
An entire book -- Run Gently, Run Long was its title -- grew out of my Big
Injury. Almost losing the running taught me lessons that
I otherwise might not have learned.
This story began more than 30 years ago with the first signs of a bony growth on
my heel, which I later learned was cutting into the
Achilles tendon. I ignored the pain for months -- until it wouldn't allow normal
walking, let alone running.
A doctor said, "You might never run again unless that calcium deposit is
removed." I worried about not running again even if the
surgery was done, but had to take this gamble.
The simple out-patient operation (which also repaired the Achilles, sawed almost
in half) and its immediate aftermath devastated me
emotionally. I spent the first dreadful night after the surgery back in the
emergency room, being calmed from a serious panic
attack.
Rehab took the only form it could, in small steps forward mixed with a few in
reverse when I tried to rush nature's recovery
timetable. First came biking while still in a cast, then crutching a mile, then
walking that mile, then run-walking it, then running
very slowly (even the walkers passed me on the track), then gradually upping the
distance and pace.
Progress seemed to take forever at the time, but I now see how quick it really
was. Seven months post-op, I finished a marathon. It
wasn't one of my fastest but was the happiest.
The Big Injury taught me lessons about speed limits. Before this breakdown I
didn't know there were any.
I loved to race and had the freedom then -- before wife, before children, before
middle age -- to indulge every weekend or even more
often. My racing totaled 20, 30, even 40 percent of my weekly mileage.
More...from Joe Henderson at:
http://www.joehenderson.com/archive/home.php?article=2059


16. Seeking Workout Partner for Hot and Sweaty Fun:
WHEN Kendall Williams, a 36-year-old writer in Manhattan, decided to start
running regularly, he posted a call for partners in crime
on Craigslist. He wanted something specific: fellow joggers to meet him near his
Upper West Side apartment at 6:30 a.m. several days
a week. Four women who live within blocks answered his platonic ad, and for a
few months, they ran 10- to 12-minute miles.
"It's easier to get out there when I know someone is waiting for me," Mr.
Williams said. "It's helpful to have someone to run
alongside."
A growing number of people who can't bear to go it alone are turning to the
Internet to make sports dates with strangers, chiefly
because their friends or spouses can't work out when they desire, or won't.
Exercise is never a cakewalk. But many who are serious about it say finding a
willing soul to share in the misery helps to make sure
that the job gets done. Some people who desperately seek motivation say making
an appointment with a stranger taps into the guilt
centers of their brains. "I'm looking for someone who's ready to join my side
and win the battle of the bulge," wrote one chubby
slacker from Denver on Craigslist. "I need some motivation to get me to the gym,
play tennis, walk, hike or anything active."
Though most of these fleeting relationships are not complicated by romance,
finding well-matched partners is still an issue,
according to those who seek them online. A fellow runner or cyclist can't be too
fast. A rock climber or scuba diver can't be too
inexperienced. A tennis partner must have enough skill to make a match
worthwhile.
"If you think you're good, I'll consider playing you," wrote one frustrated
tennis player on Craigslist who spoke for legions of
mismatched exercisers. "I mean good for real, not you can hit the ball over the
net. Looking for this afternoon."
Disappointments aside, the number of yearly postings in the activities sections
of Craigslist has increased nearly tenfold, from
23,000 in 2001 to 228,125 in 2005. "Part of the demand is skill-based," said Jim
Buckmaster, the chief executive of Craigslist. "The
other part is scheduling."
Exercisefriends.com, only a year and a half old, is ranked the eighth most
popular fitness site by Alexa, a company that compiles
Internet traffic statistics. For no charge, members can post a profile, complete
with a picture, and then search for like-minded
athletes nearby.
More...from the NY Times at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/08/fashion/thursdaystyles/08Fitness.html?_r=1&ore\
f=slogin


17. What makes them run?
If they really want to go the distance, first-time marathoners need something
meaningful to inspire them. Weight loss or kudos
aren't enough.
SOME people sign up for marathons for the grueling physical challenge. Others
want that shiny medal. And some just want to lose
weight or get kudos from their peers. Don't bet on this last group to complete
the race.
Those runners tend to drop out even before they get to the starting line,
according to new research on first-time marathoners.
Lead author Jacob Havenar, a doctoral candidate in the physical activity,
nutrition and wellness program at Arizona State
University, said his first marathon six years ago made him curious about other
runners.
"I wanted to learn what people's motivations were going into the race," he said.
"We see a lot of feel-good stories in running
magazines about success stories," but less about the people who never make it to
the end.
The results of his study were among the findings presented at the American
College of Sports Medicine's annual meeting last week in
Denver.
Havenar surveyed 106 male and female first-time marathoners enrolled in a
training program about why they decided to run. Rookies —
not experienced, elite athletes — were chosen because they represent the general
population.
He used a scale that measured motivation by weighing such factors as the desire
to improve self-esteem, develop better coping
skills, lose weight, have more social interaction and achieve personal goals.
More...from the LA Times at:
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/fitness/la-he-sports5jun05,1,2744813.stor\
y?coll=la-health-fitness-news


18. Lab Report: Essential Ingredients IV:
Tempo Runs, By Pete Pfitzinger, M.S.
So far in the Essential Ingredients series, we have covered how the body adapts
to training, the importance of long runs and
developing a big aerobic base. In this issue, we discuss the third pillar of
distance running success, tempo runs, which are the
most effective type of training to improve your lactate threshold pace.
Why should you care about your lactate threshold pace?
Lactate threshold pace (LT pace) is the best physiological predictor of distance
running performance. Your LT pace is how fast you
can run before the lactate (lactic acid) level in your muscles and blood
increases rapidly. Tempo runs are done in an intensity
range at which lactate is just starting to accumulate, which provides a strong
stimulus to improve your LT pace. By running at your
current LT pace, you improve your LT pace (the body is great like that), which
leads to improved racing performance. There is also a
psychological benefit because the concentration required to sustain LT pace
develops mental toughness for racing.
Your LT pace can be tested in an exercise physiology lab, but for most
competitive runners it can be approximated by the pace you
could maintain in a one-hour race. You can estimate your LT pace by wearing a
heart rate monitor during a 15K race (or a 10K race
for slower runners), and find the heart rate zone that coincides with that
pace—typically 80 to 90 percent of maximal heart rate.
During a tempo run, your heart rate will increase by several beats per minute
even if you hold an even pace, so run the first mile
or two towards the low end of your zone, and your heart rate will tend to
increase to the high end of the zone during the workout.
After a few of these runs, you will likely be able to gauge the correct
intensity range fairly accurately without a heart monitor.
Although tempo runs have been around for more than 20 years, the scientific
evidence does not indicate precisely how hard or how
long your tempo runs should be. My advice for tempo runs has evolved over the
past few years as I have become more aware of the
benefits of tailoring the run based on the specific purpose of the workout in
the runner’s training schedule. I am now convinced
that tempo runs should be done at an intensity range from slightly faster to
slightly slower than LT pace, depending on the race
distance you are preparing for, and how many weeks there are until your goal
race
More...from Running Times at:
http://www.runningtimes.com/rt/articles/?id=8093&c=2


19. Focus on function: What top athletes can teach the rest of us:
Scott Jurek not only runs all-terrain races of 100 miles or more. He wins.
Pacific Northwest Ballet soloist Maria Chapman makes the difficult look
beatific.
Courtney Thompson, among the land's finest volleyball players, is not satisfied.
You, most likely, are not like them. You probably never have won - and never
will - such prestigious awards and titles or even
gotten applause. Yet, when it comes to the nub of what "fit" means, the
accomplished share more than you'd expect with the rest of
us.
Despite what magazine-cover freaks tell you, being fit, at its core, is about
function, not form. That's the focus of top athletes.
Being fit means having the ability to do what you need, whatever that may be. It
could be skiing without getting injured or doing
your job without letting your job undo you. How about keeping weight down and
cardiovascular levels high to avoid chronic disease?
The bottom line is that all of us need to realize potential.
"Functional fitness" is all the rage now, but it's just rediscovering what we
began to ignore. Fitness always has been about
function - long before gimmicks and gizmos and guilt fogged focus and before
body beautiful overtook body awareness.
Fitness depends on your health history, vanity, goals, skills, injuries and
commitment. Endurance and body-fat percentage and the
strength of your heart and core are benchmarks, but we overlook the bottom line:
how we feel and what we can do. It has nothing to
do with awards, unless they spur you. Beyond the adulation, top athletes are
fueled by inner affirmation. They know what they need -
and train for it. So should you.
Ultra-marathoner Jurek needs more than physical fitness to run his endurance
races. He needs mental stamina, too.
Chapman has an artist's grace but, at her core, she is an athlete who needs to
develop and maintain proper body mechanics to avoid
injury.
Thompson needs to parse her lofty, long-range goal into daily, sweaty steps. She
also knows she can't look like Barbie and play like
Shaq.
These three all look good, but looking as good as you can is not the prize. It's
the byproduct, they say, of the lifestyle journey.
They understand that "fit" is a moving target.
We get slower and weaker as we age, but usually the rate of decline is up to
you. Your goal is in your hands, too, as is your
willingness to act on it.
More...from the News Sentinel at:
http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/newssentinel/living/14779343.htm


20. Get Your Game On:
Ready to play your way to total fitness? We thought so. Kick-start your
transformation with a visionary six-week approach to
bringing body and mind together for strength, stamina, and your best performance
ever.
TOTAL FITNESS. It sure sounds great, but what does it mean? That was our big
question when we gathered some of the nation's top
coaches, trainers, athletes, nutritionists, and wellness experts to start
building a breakthrough strategy for the Outside athlete.
Surprisingly, the answer proved to be relatively simple: Total fitness means you
can play harder, travel farther, and live longer.
Even better, achieving it isn't all that complicated. The key is a balanced
approach to sports and health based on five pillars:
body, mind, nutrition, active recovery, and (the point of it all) adventure.
In the pages ahead, our all-star team rolls out the complete plan to get you
there fast. Yeah, you'll sweat a lot, but the reward is
an explosive new you that can perform—on the trails, waves, or playing field—at
a level you never thought possible.
More...from Outside Online at:
http://outside.away.com/outside/bodywork/200606/summer-fitness-guide-1.html


21. Glutamine: Essential Nonessential Amino Acid:
Reviewed by First Endurance Research Board Member:
Bob Seebohar MS, RD, CSCS- Director of Sports Nutrition, University of Florida
Athletic Association
Intro: Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the body accounting for
greater than 60% of the total intramuscular free amino
acid pool. Practically every cell in the body uses this non-essential amino
acid. Glutamine is synthesized in both skeletal muscle
and in adipose tissue in addition to the lungs, liver and brain. Because the
body has the ability to produce glutamine it has long
been considered a non-essentials amino acid. But don't let the word
non-essential throw you off. Non-Essential simply means the body
has a mechanism to produce this powerful amino acid. Some scientists have
recently considered reclassifying glutamine as a
conditionally essential nutrient based on recent research findings. There is
evidence that during times of stress the body cannot
produce enough glutamine to keep up with demand which in-turn can reduce
performance, immune function and affect mood. Hence
glutamine is now classified as a conditional non-essential amino acid. Athletes
at risk for inadequate stores of glutamine include
those not eating enough calories, carbohydrates or protein or those
participating in strenuous endurance events. The need for proper
daily eating is important to help maintain normal glutamine levels.
Additionally, clinical research has verified that overtrained
endurance athletes suffer from chronic low plasma glutamine levels.
Glutamine and overtraining: Intense physical exercise drains Glutamine stores
faster than the body can replenish them. When this
occurs, the body breaks down muscles and becomes catabolic. Clinical evidence
supports supplementation with glutamine for recovery,
glycogen storage & transport, synthesis of other amino acids and to reduce the
catabolic effects of overtraining. Its been proven
that glutamine levels in the serum are dramatically reduced following exhaustive
exercise. With reduced glutamine levels performance
and recovery are also compromised.
More...from TriFuel at:
http://www.trifuel.com/triathlon/nutrition/glutamine-essential-nonessential-amin\
o-acid-001422.php


22. Her Story(TM): Megan Williams:
"When I told my family and friends that my husband, and I were biking through
Kenya and Tanzania over Christmas, their reactions
were immediate and strong: 'Are you absolutely nuts, isn't it dangerous? Hope
you've updated your will and decided who gets your
cats when you die.' Everyone we knew seemed to think we'd contract an exotic,
deadly disease."
When I told my family and friends that my husband, August, and I were biking
through Kenya and Tanzania over Christmas, their
reactions were immediate and strong: "Are you absolutely nuts, isn't it
dangerous? Hope you've updated your will and decided who
gets your cats when you die." Everyone we knew seemed to think we'd contract an
exotic, deadly disease or be attacked by a pack of
wild animals or worse a warring tribe.
Overwhelmed, from that point on we began telling people we were going on an
African safari, which conjured up reassuring images of
the colonial experience -- the two of us reclining under a giant acacia tree,
gin and tonics in-hand, after a long, dusty day of
seeking out the "Big Five" from our comfortable seats in the Land Rover. "How
Romantic," they'd exclaim swooning.
The problem with these images, however, was that they were not the experience I
wanted. On a day-to-day level, I lead what I
consider to be a fairly normal life; I wake up, drive to work, exercise, and
fall into bed after watching television. In a good
year, I will run the Boston Marathon or do an Ironman. I am challenged by this
life, but am always looking for ways to challenge
myself further both physically and mentally, which, recently, has translated
into taking active trips around the world.
More...from Active.com at:
http://www.active.com/story.cfm?story_id=13151



23. Caffeine can reduce the pain caused by exercise:
But researchers caution that you shouldn't rely on java's jolt for a competitive
edge.
The benefits of caffeine, the placement of tobacco and alcohol ads and the
fitness-sabotaging potential of health publications were
among the other highlights of the American College of Sports Medicine meeting.
In the caffeine study, researchers at the University of Georgia found that it
can reduce pain resulting from exercise. Nine
college-age women who weren't big coffee drinkers were given caffeine (the
equivalent of about two or three cups of coffee) or a
placebo and asked to do a series of leg extensions, in which the quadriceps are
engaged.
Those who took caffeine, said lead author Victor Maridakis, felt less pain
during the exercise, from 25% to 48% depending on the
phase of the exercise. He theorizes that caffeine may block pain receptors to
the brain. But he cautions that athletes and weekend
warriors shouldn't rely on caffeine to always see them through a game or
workout. "Everyone wants that competitive edge," he said,
"but it's how much you think you can handle and how your body reacts to it."
• In the advertising study, researchers examined the amount of alcohol and
tobacco ads contained in nine sports and health-related
magazines such as Sports Illustrated, ESPN, Golf, Runner's World, Men's Health
and Tennis. This was a follow-up to similar research
published in the Journal of the American Medical Assn. in 2000 that looked at
the number of ads in these publications and other
similar ones. The recent study found that advertising across the board had
decreased. In the case of Sports Illustrated, ads dropped
by 60%.
More...from the LA Times at:
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/fitness/la-he-sportsbriefs5jun05,1,412461\
8.story?coll=la-health-fitness-news


24. Anaerobic cycling workouts for 70.3:
Many triathletes believe that Olympic-distance and sprint triathlons are more
anaerobic (meaning they depend more on energy produced
without the aid of oxygen) than triathlons of the half-Ironman-distance and
beyond and therefore require more emphasis on anaerobic
training.
In reality, all triathlons, right down to sprints, are almost entirely aerobic
in nature. In a typical sprint triathlon,
approximately 80 to 90 percent of your muscle energy will come from aerobic
metabolism. A half-Ironman is only slightly more
aerobic, at approximately 95 percent.
Muscle energy output doesn't become predominantly anaerobic until the event
duration shrinks down below two minutes. Even in an
all-out swimming, cycling or running effort lasting just two minutes, 50 percent
of your muscle energy will come from aerobic
metabolism.
Since even the shortest triathlons take more than 25 times this long for the
fastest athletes to complete, it's obvious that having
a strong aerobic capacity is much more important to triathlon success than being
an anaerobic powerhouse.
Incorporating anaerobic efforts
Nevertheless, there's a place for anaerobic training in your preparations for
any triathlon, including half-Ironmans. That place
should be roughly the same size as the anaerobic system's contribution to muscle
energy in a triathlon -- that is, it should account
for about five percent of your total half-Ironman training time.
More...from Active.com at:
http://www.active.com/story.cfm?story_id=13148


25. Digest Briefs:
* Therapies: Music May Offer Pain Relief Beyond Medication
In a small study of patients with back, neck or joint pain, researchers found
that regularly listening to music provided pain relief
beyond that brought on by standard pain management techniques.
The scientists randomly divided 60 patients ages 26 to 64, all of them receiving
traditional pain treatment, into three groups. Over
seven days, the first listened for one hour a day to one of five tapes chosen by
the researchers, the second to music of their own
choosing, and the third received only standard care. All patients kept diaries
recording their level of pain, depression and
disability.
The music groups experienced a 20 percent decrease in pain compared with a 2
percent increase in pain in the control group over the
week of the study. Pain was measured using two standardized pain questionnaires.
The authors did not suggest any specific mechanism that would explain the
finding.
"It is always possible that something other than the experimental treatment
brought about the results we saw," said Sandra L.
Siedlecki, a co-author of the study, financed by the National Institutes of
Health. "However, we did use several techniques to
minimize this possibility." Dr. Siedlecki is a senior nurse researcher at the
Cleveland Clinic.
The study, which appears in the May issue of The Journal of Advanced Nursing,
has some limitations. The sample size was small, the
authors write, and it is impossible to generalize the findings to a larger
population.
Marion Good, a co-author of the study and a professor of nursing at Case Western
Reserve University, said the musical intervention
was not a substitute for traditional pain management. "It is important," she
said, "to maximize relief by adding nonpharmacological
methods that relax and distract patients from their pain in addition to their
analgesic medication."
From the New York Times.
* The 10 Biggest Marathons in America:
Rank, according to the number of 2005 finishers:
1. ING New York City Marathon: 36,872 Finishers.
2. Chicago Marathon: 32,995 Finishers.
3. Honolulu Marathon: 24,219 Finishers.
4. City of Los Angeles Marathon: 19,985 Finishers.
5. Marine Corps Marathon: 19,110 Finishers.
6. Boston Marathon: 17,549 Finishers.
7. San Diego Rock & Roll: 15,934 Finishers.
8. Las Vegas Marathon: 8,186 Finishers.
9. Twin Cities Marathon: 7,753 Finishers.
10. Disney World Marathon: 7,726 Finishers.
More...from Marathon Guide at:
http://www.marathonguide.com/features/Articles/2005RecapOverview.cfm


THIS WEEK'S FEATURED EVENTS:
*Please verify event dates with the event websites*

June 10, 2006:
Cambridge Classic Mile - ON
http://www.cambridgeclassicmile.com

Circle of Friends New York Mini 10K, New York, NY
www.mini10k.org

George Sheehan Classic, Red Bank, NJ
www.sheehanclassic.org

Triathlon du Lac-Leamy - Gatineau, QC
http://www.triathlon-espoir-gatineau.com/index1.html

DeCelle Memorial Lake Tahoe Relay - Lake Tahoe, CA
http://www.laketahoerelay.com

June 11, 2006:
Arby's Rocky Mountain Half Marathon - Denver, CO
http://www.rmrunning.com

Edinburgh Marathon - Scotland
http://www.edinburgh-marathon.com/?lhu=1

Kona Marathon, Keauhou Kona, HI
www.konamarathon.com

Stittsville KOS Triathlon and Fun Duathlon - Stittsville, ON
http://www.ottawakidstri.ca

Victoria International Track Classic - BC
http://www.trackclassic.com

Worcester Firefighters 6K Run/Walk, Worchester, MA
www.wfd6k.org

June 24, 2006:
RunnersWeb5K.com Race for Women - Ottawa, ON
http://www.runnersweb5k.com



For more complete race listings check out our Upcoming Races, and Calendars.
Check the Runner's Web on Sunday and Monday for race reports on these events at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/

For Triathlon Coverage check out The Sports Network at:
http://www2.sportsnet.ca/tvschedule/tvsked_sport.php?region=ONTARIO&schedule_id=\
25

Send this to a Friend:
Forward the Runner's Web Digest to a friend and suggest that they subscribe at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RunnersWeb/join

YOUR FEEDBACK AND COMMENTS:
Comments, contributions and feedback are always welcome via this list at:
mailto:runnersweb@yahoogroups.com and in our Runner's Web Forum, available off
our FrontPage. If you post to the mailing list and
get your email returned, please contact the Runner's Web at
mailto:webmaster@... to notify us of the problem. To update your
Runner's Web eGroups subscriber's profile, go to the web
site at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RunnersWeb/join , sign in and update your
changes.
Forward the Runner's Web Digest to a friend and suggest that they subscribe at:
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Have a good week of training and/or racing.

Ken Parker
Runner's Web
mailto: webmaster@...
http://www.runnersweb.com/running.html
A running and triathlon resource portal
Runner's Web Online Store
http://store.runnersweb.com
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http://www.runnerswebcoach.com


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